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What 254 owners told NHTSA about the 2013 Toyota RAV4 Plug-in Hybrid

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (254)Crash / fire / injury (49)Electrical system (73)Engine (29)Transmission & drivetrain (29)Body & structure (28)Brakes (23)Speed control (17)Airbags (13)Equipment (13)Visibility & wipers (13)Steering (11)

1 of 254 complaints match · Transmission & drivetrain · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

Jan 12, 2018Transmission & drivetrainCrash1 injury

THIS COMPLAINT INVOLVES SUDDEN ACCELERATION. IT OCCURRED TWICE, ONCE WHEN SHIFTING FROM DRIVE TO REVERSE AND AGAIN WHEN YOU GET SHIFTING FROM REVERSE TO DRIVE. THE CAR WAS AT A STANDSTILL BOTH TIMES. THE FIRST TIME WAS APRIL 2017. I WAS DRIVING ALONG A NEIGHBORHOOD STREET AT 20 MPH. WHEN I STOPPED AND PUT THE CAR IN REVERSE, IT SHOT OFF LIKE A ROCKET. I APPLIED THE BRAKES; THE CAR STARTED SPINNING AROUND. I PULLED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE AND THE CAR STOPPED. THE SECOND EVENT OCCURRED ON JANUARY 4, 2018. I WAS BACKING OUT OF A PARKING SPACE; I STOPPED SO I COULD RENTER THE SPACE. WHEN I SHIFTED FROM REVERSE TO DRIVE, THE CAR ROARED OFF AND BECAME AIRBORNE. IT FLEW OVER THE MEDIAN AND HIT THE CAR PARKED IN THE SPACE OPPOSITE. THE TIME BETWEEN WHEN IT ACCELERATED AND WHEN IT HIT THE OTHER CAR WAS SO FAST I DID NOT HAVE TIME TO APPLY THE BRAKES. IT FELT LIKE WE WERE FLYING AND THE CAR WAS IN TOTAL CONTROL. I FEEL THERE IS SOME FLAW IN THE ELECTRONIC SYSTEM CONTROLLING THE GEARS. NO POLICE REPORT WAS FILED BECAUSE IT OCCURRED ON PRIVATE PROPERTY. MY PASSENGER WAS SLIGHTLY INJURED - A BRUISED CLAVICLE, PROBABLY FROM THE SEATBELTS.

NHTSA ODI 11062483

Working with the data? Download all 254 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 20, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2013 Toyota RAV4 Plug-in Hybrid verdict →